I Don't
by Cold Canary
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own Descendants. Prompt from Write Now on Tumblr: Write from the perspective of a character as they turn down a marriage proposal.


I Don't

Chapter One: Surprise Denial

 **Summary:** Audrey didn't think that she would ever turn down a marriage proposal... especially one from a Prince-Crowned-King. But then she did.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Descendants.

 **Prompt from Write Now on Tumblr:** Write from the perspective of a character as they turn down a marriage proposal.

My life was perfect. I had loving parents who adored me. I had friends who I could always count on to have my back. And I had an amazing boyfriend who happened to be the King. I always thought that my life would be a fairytale. I would find my true love, and we would get married. Of course, I was fine without any of the horrible villainy stuff happening to prevent that marriage. Meet my Prince, fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after. I never thought that once I found my Prince, and he went to propose that I would ever turn him down. But that's exactly what happened after a certain ex-villain/thief showed up in Auradon and turned my world around.

I know what you're thinking, if said ex-villain/thief was in Auradon, then shouldn't my Prince-Crowned-King have dumped me via a song about another girl? You would be thinking correctly if they had gotten the story right. But they didn't, so you're thinking incorrectly. No, when the villains' kids showed up, Ben (that's who my boyfriend is) did not dump me via a song about Mal (the daughter of Maleficent and the daughter of my family's sworn enemy). You see, when our story was written, they wanted some teenage drama, so they came up with that whole plot idea of Mal's mom wanting Fairy Godmother's wand, so in order for Mal and her friends to obtain said wand, Mal put a love spell on Ben, he sang a song about her, and we broke up. None of that happened.

Mal, Evie (daughter of Evil Queen), Carlos (son of Cruella de Vil) and Jay (son of Jafar and said ex-villain/thief from earlier) took the opportunity of coming to Auradon to break away from their parents' shadows. They didn't want to steal the wand, Mal didn't dupe Ben, none of it happened. Ben and I are still together, and things are going great. At least I thought they were until just now when Ben pulled out an engagement ring in front of all of our friends to propose to me.

"Audrey Rose Dormir, will you do me the honor of becoming my Queen?" Ben asked with a warm smile that usually made me melt.

I couldn't answer. I just kept looking from the gorgeous ring, to Ben, then back to the ring. My mind was telling me to look at Jay, but I couldn't do that either. If I looked at Jay now, it might seem as if I have been cheating on Ben with Jay, and that's not the case. I've gotten to know Jay over the years that he and the others have been here, but it wasn't until just now that I realized I couldn't marry Ben. Not when my thoughts were on how Jay would react if I accepted. It wouldn't be fair to Ben, or Jay, or even me.

Looking around at all of my friends, purposely looking at Jay quickly before as I looked at my other friends standing around him, I try to smile, but I can't. I reach out to Ben, who looks way too happy (I realize that he thinks I'm accepting and my heart hurts for him), and I take his arm in my hands to pull him up from kneeling. Once he is standing again, and I gently lead him out of earshot of our friends, his smile starts to falter.

"Audrey?" Ben asked.

"I'm sorry Ben, but I can't marry you." I was finally able to say.

"Why not? Isn't this what we always talked about for us?" Ben asked, completely confused at my decision.

"I thought that it was, but actually hearing you say the words makes me realize that there is a part of me that has feelings for someone else, and until I can really figure out what those feelings are, and what they mean, I can't consciously agree to marry you. It wouldn't be fair to either of us." I explained.

"You mean it wouldn't be fair to _any_ of us." Ben said as he looked back towards our friends.

I followed his gaze and am half surprised to see that Jay followed us. Why? Why did Jay have to follow? Why couldn't he have just stayed with everyone else while Ben and I talked in private?

"Audrey, please don't tell me that you are declining Ben's proposal because you have feelings for me." Jay said and I saw a brief flare of anger flash in Ben's eyes.

"Is it true?" Ben asked in a small voice. "Is it because you have feelings for Jay that you won't agree to marry me?" He asked.

"Yes." I replied as I choked back sobs.

"Were you going to actually tell me that it was Jay? Or were you going to keep that part a secret?" Ben asked.

"I wasn't going to keep it a secret. Jay just showed up before you had a chance to ask or before I could say it myself." I replied as a few tears broke free.

Ben turned away from both Jay and I. There was no doubt in my mind that this was hard for Ben. Even though I hadn't wanted it to seem like I had cheated on Ben with Jay, there was a pretty good possibility that at least one of the thoughts bouncing around in Ben's head was just that.

"I'm sorry Ben, I really am. It was a beautiful set up for the proposal, and the ring really is beautiful. I just can't bring myself to accept either one if I'm so uncertain. I've changed in the years that Jay and the others have been here. Believe me, if you had asked me at your coronation to marry you, I would have said yes in a heartbeat, even if I had started to have feelings for someone else." I said as more tears fell.

After that, I turned and ran. I needed to get away from Ben and Jay. I needed time and space to think. I had just turned down a marriage proposal from a King. My life had been perfect and I had turned down a marriage proposal that I never would have thought that I would turn down. Ben would be better off having a Queen who knew with her whole heart that she loved him, and if that was still meant to be me, it wasn't going to be right now. If it wasn't meant to be me, then he was now free to find her.


End file.
